Who owns my old 68 W-39 Cutlass
May 1st, 2013, 12:00 PM
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Who owns my old 68 W-39 Cutlass
Just wondering if someone out there has my formerly owned 68 Cultlas W-39. I purchased the car from the Olds dealership in St. Pete, Fl new - end of the model year after it had toured the country somehow connected to Dick Smothers racing a Cutlass that year. It was also featured in an Olds' TV commercial. It was red with white interior and was distinctive because of window posts (which I never particularily liked). I traded it in with a Buick dearlership in Orlando in about 1975. If you own this car I would just like to know that it is still being enjoyed by someone.
May 1st, 2013, 04:53 PM
#8
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: southeastern Michigan
Posts: 14,206
No, but it did find it's way to a shrinker. It's now a paperweight on my desk! 
OK, so let's get a little more serious here. I posted what I did because the odds that you'll find anyone on here having your car, a car that you lost track of almost 40 years ago, is so close to zero as to be indistinguishable from zero, especially with the very limited information you provided. As noted, telling us what the VIN is would help a tiny little bit.
But what would help most is providing a few more details about the last time you saw it. You say you traded it in at a Buick dealer in "about" 1975. What year was it, exactly? Can't you remember? What was the name of the Buick dealership? Perhaps that dealership is still around. The chances are quite low, but perhaps if they are still around, and in the same location, they might still have sales records from back then and could tell you what happened to it. You won't know if you don't try. Look them up. Tell us what you find.
Finding something like this makes finding a needle in a haystack look like child's play. That's why you have to provide as much information as possible (what color it was isn't enough) as well as as many other details as you possibly can.
And then, at the end of the day, you have to be ready for the prospect that you'll never find it and that it was most likely junked and crushed many years ago and is now part of a suspension bridge support beam somewhere.
OK, so let's get a little more serious here. I posted what I did because the odds that you'll find anyone on here having your car, a car that you lost track of almost 40 years ago, is so close to zero as to be indistinguishable from zero, especially with the very limited information you provided. As noted, telling us what the VIN is would help a tiny little bit.
But what would help most is providing a few more details about the last time you saw it. You say you traded it in at a Buick dealer in "about" 1975. What year was it, exactly? Can't you remember? What was the name of the Buick dealership? Perhaps that dealership is still around. The chances are quite low, but perhaps if they are still around, and in the same location, they might still have sales records from back then and could tell you what happened to it. You won't know if you don't try. Look them up. Tell us what you find.
Finding something like this makes finding a needle in a haystack look like child's play. That's why you have to provide as much information as possible (what color it was isn't enough) as well as as many other details as you possibly can.
And then, at the end of the day, you have to be ready for the prospect that you'll never find it and that it was most likely junked and crushed many years ago and is now part of a suspension bridge support beam somewhere.
May 1st, 2013, 05:08 PM
#9
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 3
I belong to a local Mustang club and hardly a year goes by and someone comes to our monthly meeting looking for the Mustang that he once owned. I know the odds, but with a very limited number made and a close nit community of enthusiasts, it was a shot. Like I said in my initial post, I'm just curious and not trying to locate it for any other reason. I appreciate the input and if I find anything that is more helpful in my trunk of old keepsakes that helps my memory, I'll continue on with the search, but you are probably right, it's most likely long been recycled.
May 1st, 2013, 05:46 PM
#10
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: West Hartford, CT
Posts: 1,429
I'll be the contrarion here. I think a limited production car w/ some unique background would be fairly easy to get a response on if someone here owns it. How many of those sold in FL & out of those, how many were post coupes that color? The SB connection may not have survived the journey but someone may have the car & know some of the way points it passed back in the day.
It would certainly be easier to narrow down for the current owner suspect the car if more details were known.
It would certainly be easier to narrow down for the current owner suspect the car if more details were known.
May 1st, 2013, 06:25 PM
#11
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Central IN
Posts: 1,226
So, is it a W-31 or not ?
If it is, you might try tracking down the 'W machine registry'. There used to be a website ...
www.wmachineregistry.com
...but it appears out-of-order now. (Although some pic links still work) It was created by 'Elephant Engine Ernie' on this site. Maybe try to contact him ?
If it is, you might try tracking down the 'W machine registry'. There used to be a website ...
www.wmachineregistry.com
...but it appears out-of-order now. (Although some pic links still work) It was created by 'Elephant Engine Ernie' on this site. Maybe try to contact him ?
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